Page 75 of The Sky Between Us

“Your stats mean nothing,” she shook her head, taking a step closer to him. Resisting the urge to tug her back, I let her deal with it. Despite all the anger. “You are still a shitty person and that’s all that matters.”

Jake laughed. He full out laughed to her face.

Elliot grew motionless and I watched his eyes burn holes into Kellerman. His knuckles turned white and I knew it was a lost battle. One of us was going to beat the shit out of this entitled asshole.

Hazel opened her mouth to fire another round of insults, when someone shouted my name. My blood froze and time slowed around me. I watched as Jake turned his head towards the entrance where a little figure appeared wearing a Dolphin’s jersey and bounced towards me. Sky launched himself at me and grinned.

“Hey buddy,” I said, choking. “What are you doing here?”

“Mom stopped to give dad something and I escaped from the car and saw you through the window,” he pointed towards the big windows behind me. “Can I watch the game?”

“No,” Hazel said without missing a beat and reached to untangle his small arms from my neck. “Let’s go.”

“But I want to…” Sky started looking from me to Hazel, then to Elliot. Finally, his eyes moved to Jake staring into his dark brown eyes. The same ones that probably looked back at him in the mirror every morning. I watched as confusion crossed his face and the little wheels in his head started spinning. “You play soccer?”

“Yo buddy.” Elliot unfroze, standing between Sky and Kellerman, he ruffled his messy brown hair. Looking at him and Jake together, the resemblance was there. Not as clearly, but still… I could see Kellerman in him.

Hazel’s pleading eyes met mine and panicked tears filled her eyes. She was scared to death that Jake would say something. But thankfully he seemed just as baffled by the scene as all of us. He had to be dumb to not know who this little guy was.

“Why don’t I take you back to Coach?” Elliot offered, taking Sky from Hazel and I. “We can maybe convince him to let you watch the first half before you go to your tryouts.”

“Those are boring,” he mumbled, annoyed. “I want to stay with you all. You play for Harvard?” he turned to Jake when Elliot placed him on the floor. “Are you a forward? I’m a forward too.”

Kellerman stared at him with eyes wide, face ash white. “What the hell…” he muttered and with accusing eyes he stared at Hazel. “You didn’t fucking do this…”

Sky’s brows snapped together and he turned to look at his sister. “What?”

“You are stupid,” he shook his head and his face morphed into disgust. “So, fucking stupid.”

Losing my self-control, I pushed Jake’s shoulder. “Leave. Now.”

“She might be stupid, but you are a fucking idiot for being with her. Jesus, so dumb. I would understand if she’d fuck well, but come on. This is ridiculous!”

Elliot caught my hand before it connected with his jaw.

“Leave,” I said, articulating the word. “Or you won’t be playing today.”

Jake laughed. “Try me. You will be the one sitting this one out and then you can kiss your future goodbye… but by the looks of it, you are already shitting all over it.”

Elliot dropped my arm and launched himself on Jake, taking him down. Sky squeaked, and I pulled him backwards out of the fight, while Hazel grabbed my friend’s jersey and pulled on it. At the same time the entire Harvard team circled us. Tension filled the air suffocating us all, and it felt like a ticking bomb.

“Stop, it’s not worth it!” she reasoned with him, when he already punched Kellerman. Blood twinkled on his knuckles under the neon light, and making Sky sit, I helped Hazel peel Elliot off her ex.

“Come on, bro. We’ll finish this on the field,” I said, hugging his shoulder and pulling him off.

Elliot stumbled into me and we both backed off, while Hazel bent down and said something to Jake. It was in such a low voice I couldn’t make out the words, but based on his face it wasn’t anything nice. His eyes snapped to me and my own hatred reflected in them. I saw the promises he shot towards me, and the threats hidden in them, but I ignored it.

He might have started this war by talking shit about Hazel, but we weren’t going to back off a fight, and we sure as hell won’t let him win. Not a chance. Especially not in our home.

Anger, betrayal and sadness all swirled inside of me. I wasn’t expecting Jake to show up like that, I sure as hell wasn’t prepared for his taunting. But when Sky showed up and hell got loose, he showed his truest colors and for the first time, my immediate instinct was to protect Sky. Holding on to him was the only reason I stayed calm or as calm as I could have been.

“You should have been more careful,” I muttered to my mother when we delivered Sky, together with Elliot and Aiden. Elliot’s busted knuckles and the tension rolling off of both guys was enough confirmation for my father of what had happened and he immediately pulled the boys into the locker rooms. I didn’t even get to say goodbye or wish them luck. But why would I? Luck wasn’t going to help them win.

“Do you want to leave?” mom asked as always looking for a way out instead of staying and facing the reality.

I shook my head.

I’ve spent five years running, hiding in the shadows. It was time for me to once and for all slay my demons.

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